Lawmakers to again consider illegal bus passing law
Nathan’s Law, named after a boy who was killed by a motorist as he was disembarking his school bus, will be re-introduced during the Mississippi Legislature’s 2011 session. The bill got full support from the state Senate last year, but died in a House committee.
LAUREL, Miss. — State lawmakers will once again consider Nathan’s Law during this year's legislative session.
The bill is named after Nathan Key, who was killed in December 2009 by a motorist who passed his stopped school bus as Key was disembarking.
The bill got full support from the state Senate last year, but got tied up in a House committee where certain penalties and requirements were taken out, WDAM reports.
As SBFpreviously reported, Key's parents, Lori and Andy, garnered support for the legislation at a “Project Safe Child” community event in September.
State Sen. Chris McDaniel co-sponsored the bill in 2010. He reportedly believes that it will have full Senate support in this year's session.
"It passed the Senate unanimously," McDaniel told WDAM. "It wasn't that the House didn't like it. It was that one person in the House didn't like it and he happened to be a committee chairman. There have been minor changes, but the bill stands on its own. We anticipate it will pass unanimously again this year in the Senate."
McDaniel also believes that the bill will become law if it can get through committee and to the floor for a vote.
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